The January 17 edition of Warrior Connection was a discussion on the still troubled VA Choice program and enduring medical care problems that elude fixing.Bradley Kieffer of Healthnet provided this comment in response to our requests for on air discussion:Media Statement Health Net Federal Services is proud to serve our nation’s veterans, and we are committed to providing timely access to medical care in the 37 states where we administer the Veterans Choice program. Veterans Choice was created in 2014 to better meet the health care needs or our nation’s veterans by allowing them to see community providers when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is unable to see them timely or conveniently. By late 2014, Health Net was scheduling 34,000 medical appointments and fielding more than 230,000 phone calls monthly in support of the Veterans Choice program. We recently opened a service center in Tampa, Florida, to assist veterans in obtaining their needed care. Many of these associates are veterans themselves. To date, we have hired and are currently training over 200 associates. In the future we hope to hire up to 500 associates for this office. Developing a complex and consistent new program like Veterans Choice is a team effort, and Health Net is working closely with Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs, health care providers and many others to provide veterans with the appropriate, coordinated and convenient care they have earned for their service to a grateful nation. - January 11, 2016.Veterans Choice ProgramAccess health care closer to homeWhat is the Choice Program?For ProvidersOutreach Partners ToolkitFAQsFor ProvidersProviders interested in participating must establish a contract with one of the contractors, Health Net Federal, or TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Providers do not need to join PC3 to participate in the Choice Program.Providers must:Accept Medicare rates.Meet all Medicare Conditions of Participation and Conditions for Coverage.Be in compliance with all applicable federal and state regulatory requirements.Have a full, current, and unrestricted license in the state where the service(s) are delivered.Have same or similar credentials as VA staff.Submit a copy of the medical records to the contractor for medical care and services provided to Veterans for inclusion in the VA electronic record.Providers listed on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) exclusionary list are prohibited from participating.How to participate:To determine which of the two contractors you should contact (Health Net or TriWest) based on your geographic location click here.All Patient – Centered Community Care (PC3) providers are automatically eligible to participate in the Choice Program.Contact the appropriate contractor using the information listed below.Contact Information for Health Net:o    Hours: 6:00am — 7:00pm EST Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidayso    Provider Customer Service Phone Number: 1-866-606-8198o    Email: [email protected]    Website: www.hnfs.comContact Information for TriWest:o    Hours: 8:00am — 10:00pm EST, Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidayso    Provider Services Contracting: 1-866-284-3743o    Email: [email protected]    Website: joinournetwork.triwest.com/Complete the process to establish a contract or provider agreement with the appropriate contractor, which will allow you to see Veterans seeking care through the choice program.Are you an Academic Affiliate Partner of the Department of Veterans Affairs? Click here for more specific information.To learn more about Military Culture Training for Community Providers click here.Veterans Choice ProgramAccess health care closer to homeWhat is the Choice Program?For ProvidersOutreach Partners ToolkitFAQsWhat is the Choice Program?If you are already enrolled in VA health care, the Choice Program allows you to receive health care within your community. Using this program does NOT impa